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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. land — a country
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. object — to protest
  7. net — after costs
  8. cap — of ice
  9. season — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — of the year
  14. object — an aim
  15. land — ground
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. object — a thing
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com